Snoop Dogg – Better Late Than Never

Snoop Dogg is not a punctual person.

The hip hop legend finally came onstage Tuesday at Crossroads KC more than 70 minutes after the opening set from Hearts of Darkness. A wait this long becomes even more infuriating when the headliner plays for less than an hour with no encore.

However, Snoop knows how to give the people what they want. Backed by only a DJ and some dancers, Snoop treated the crowd to all his biggest hits. He started the set off with the recent hit “I Wanna Rock.”

Technical difficulties caused problems at the beginning of the show. A lighting rig kept raising and lowering, blocking fans’ views of the Doggfather. His short set featured hits from all over his career.

A trio of classics back-to-back (“Deep Cover” into “Ain’t Nothin’ But A G-Thang” into “Doggystyle”) was very effective and a highlight of the show. Chances are, if you have a favorite Snoop Dogg song, you heard it Tuesday night.

G-Funk classics like “Gin and Juice” sent the crowd of more than 2,000 into a frenzy. The show was split between his gangster rap classics, club bangers and songs for the ladies (“Beautiful”). He also paid tribute to two of rap’s fallen heroes: Tupac and Nate Dogg.

Many of his songs with other artists (such as “The Next Episode”) were cut short. Snoop Dogg has the hits and knows what his fans want. Maybe next time, Snoop will throw his fans a bone and give them more of what they came to see.